If you have worked in customer service roles for more than two decades, you may think you know all there is to know about serving customers. United Overseas Bank's (UOB), Ms Hoong Souk Har, Assistant Branch Manager the Bank's Jalan Sultan Branch, believes that there is always opportunity to learn new skills and by doing so remain in touch with the changing needs of customers.
Ms Hoong was one of 769 UOB customer-facing employees who have undertaken a Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) in the last year and she is thankful for the opportunity to continue developing her skills and career.
"Having been in customer-facing roles for more than 26 years, I always put myself in the shoes of the customer to understand not just the issue at hand but also the emotions such as anxiety that they may be experiencing. When I undertook UOB's PCP, I learnt new techniques and considerations, such as customer journey mapping, to enhance the way I engage and empathise with customers," Ms Hoong said.
"UOB commitment to reskilling and upskilling of its people has helped me in my career progression and has equipped me with the right skills sets to be future-ready."

"I feel more confident now that I am able to resolve issues more quickly." Ms Hoong said.
The UOB PCP modules are designed to help staff deepen their skills in areas such as design thinking, customer journey design, channel management, and scenario analysis and planning.
In particular, Ms Hoong cited and Customer Journey Design and Managing Diversity as the two courses that made the most difference to her ability to handle better both customers. UOB's PCP is developed in collaboration with The Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) AND aims to help mid-career Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) in the banking and finance sector upskill and be future-ready. The modules' emphasis customer experience management has helped her find more effective and creative solutions for her customers' needs and to be emphatic to their problems.